Undying Rhapsody: Hymn of the Frozen
by Glacilius Caelum
Summary: What happens when we die? Most go to to the next world or life, but Gabriel didn't get that choice; his soul was taken by one with questionable plans, to be used as a pawn. but what happens when the puppet cuts his strings and chooses a new fate? Let the Heavens and the Void quake in the sonnet!
1. Prelude: Fragile Note

_Lords and ladies, I have returned! After my absence, and the subsequent death of the last tale, I come bearing this offering for your enjoyment. With that having been said, I would like to introduce the fruits of my efforts. So, with only the legal work to get out of the way, let it be said that I own only the character Talon and his equipment. Everything else is owned by Square Enix or Bethesda._

_Now, let the story… Begin._

**Prelude: Fragile Notes**

_Pain lashed at his body as he lay there, being jerked from side to side and moving to the motions of the gurney._

"Floor it! If we don't make it, he'll-"

_Flashes of voices mixed in his mind, along with colors and emotions. Sensations of pleasure, terror, joy and hatred flared through him as his mind was wiped clean as a slate._

"Damn it, we're losing him!"

"Doctor, what's going on? Why isn't my son moving?"

"Bloody Hell, someone get him out of here!"

_Pain stabbed again as it felt like something was being torn out of his leg. Vaguely, he knew it was metal from the bike he crashed into before another stab jerked his mind back to the present. His eyes opened and he started thrashing on the emergency room table as the pain came to him a hundred fold in spite of the drugs._

"Holy shit-!"

"Don't just stand there, restrain him!"

"At this rate, he'll-"

_Something popped and jerked from his arms. Almost instantly, he froze, eyes going wide. Jolts of electricity surged through him, but he just lay there, unmoving. The light slowly faded from his eyes until they reflected only the lamps._

"There's nothing else we can do. I'm sorry, Doctor."

"God Almighty, why this one? Why did you take him from us?"

"Doctor…?"

"Why, damn it? Why my fucking nephew!"

_His eyes stared at the ceiling above him as a white sheet drew over his face. He could hear weeping next to him and outside when the door opened. One by one, the lights went out, leaving him in darkness. What was left slowly faded away as he sank deeper into the darkness…_

"… Time of death, 1:20 AM."

_He heard a scream of anguish before he dropped away._

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_It felt like something was crawling over him, leaving strands of something wherever they touched. He couldn't move as they worked; eventually, he was wrapped tight in a cocoon of darkness. For what felt like an eternity he floated in the woven abyss, slowly changing through time. His arm felt heavier, stronger... His legs were more durable..._

_When he finally broke free of his cocoon, he felt different from before. He felt whole again after he'd been destroyed so thoroughly by the accident. As he stretched his new body and got used to its' feel, arms wrapped around him from behind, followed by great, leathery wings._

"_It's about time, sleepyhead. I thought you would never awaken," a voice hissed. _

_When he was let loose and turned around, he saw what he would have called an angel. Floating before him in the void, surrounded by a nimbus of pale blue light, was a human. His skin beneath his toga was pale white, almost blinding in the abyss around them, a scaled sash running across his waist and chest, finally draping across his shoulders was a frosty blue. A thick, silky fall of hair fell like around his face, each strand bleached bone white. The talons on his feet, the claws on his hands and the small spikes that decorated the 'fingers' of both black wings were the same shade as his hair. The man's most stunning features were his eyes, though: One was solid mercury, with no pupil to show, while the other was a startling shade of green, almost as if someone had carved it from a chunk of perfect emerald._

_The being chuckled at the scrutiny. "Careful, young one; you might make me blush if you keep this up," he hissed. The boy looked away shyly, and opened his mouth to reply; when he tried to speak, however, no sound came out. He looked startled, and tried again, with the same result. At his distress, the man grabbed his shoulder, causing him to look up into his eyes. "Young one, don't be worried; your voice was destroyed in the rebirth. In time, it will repair itself, but for now, you cannot speak."_

_The boy nodded, a mixture of fear and uncertainty showing in his eyes. He still couldn't move in the void; not even shiver when the stranger ran his sharpened claws across his face gently, the tips cutting lightly through a few layers of his skin. "So perfect… You know, the others didn't think you should have this second chance," he said. His eyes glittered with a strange, almost malevolent light. "But I was able to persuade them otherwise; I can be quite… Convincing, when I want to." He chuckled, and the boy found the sound terrifying and devoid of any warmth; instead, it was filled with the promise of dark plans. "But where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself."_

_He swept back, the great leathery wings spread behind him to give him added size as he bowed. "I am the Keeper of the Tapestry, Lord Benediction. And you, my little viper, are my pet to send forth. I send you to Gaia, to act as my agent. You will introduce yourself as Tyranos when you awaken from your slumber there. Go now, and leave the void," he said. With those final words, cracks appeared in the world, and light began shine through. The boy was blinded by the white radiance, and knew no more as he lost consciousness again._

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

His first cognitive glimpses into reality came in flashes; a glimpse of color here, a fragmented sentence there. Mostly, he felt pain. It spread across his lower body and burned at his chest; throbbing in his arm and boiling in his eye. It seemed to last an eternity before the sensations faded away, slowly at first, but more as he regained his mind. Thought was fragmented, but slowly became clearer as time went on. Slowly, he opened his eyes and hissed at the bright light before it was shut off after a flurry of rushing feet. He opened his eyes again in the blessedly darker room, though the lamp was still a bit bright for his tastes. It was soon blocked, however, by a plump little woman dressed in a light blue shirt, a light brown skirt that went to her ankles and a white apron over it all. There were a few little patches and stitched up holes on the apron, showing it was well used in the kitchen. In its' pocket was an old wooden spoon next to a series of little pouches sewn into the fabric and lined with leather. She had red hair that faded into gray at some areas, and a pair of brilliant green eyes filled with wisdom. The light wrinkles on her face spoke of a lot of laughter in her life, and the wicked looking dagger with the worn hilt on her hip spoke of a lot of practice.

"Well, lad, I was afraid you'd never wake up," she said. Her voice was a pleasant, lilting alto that possessed a faint musical tone. It seemed to echo like an old violin played by a master. "When they found you outside of the gates, the guards feared you were dead or close to. Luckily, the captain is one of the boys I looked after when he was growing up; he sent for me immediately, though I have to say, you have to be the most unique case I've worked on. I don't often get the chance to patch up a half-breed, and never one like you before." She bustled off and came back a few minutes later carrying a steaming bowl of dark brown liquid and a metal spoon. After she set it down and wiped her hands off on her apron, she sat in a comfortable chair next to his bed. "My name's Hecate Lefay, retired adventurer, potions mistress, and current town busybody," she laughed. Her eyes danced with mischief and mirth. "Since I've given you my name, why don't you tell me yours'?" Hecate asked.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a hissing rasp came out in place of words. He blinked and tried again, with the same result, and he clenched his hands in useless rage. Looking around, he finally mimed writing with something, and Hecate nodded. After a moment of searching, she produced a quill, inkwell, paper and a piece of wood to write on. He started writing, but froze as he came to his name. _'You will introduce yourself as Tyranos,'_ a voice whispered in his mind. It was a cultured baritone, but instead of a kindness that radiated from Hecate, he heard malice and a lust for power that made him shiver. It was a voice that was better left in the Void. He glared at the page and growled low in his throat as he scratched out the first set of words and rewrote them. He turned and let her see the words he wrote:

'_I am Talon DeTonare. A pleasure, Miss Lefay.'_

Deep in the back of his mind, he heard an echo of an echo of a scream of rage.

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_One year later_

Hecate sighed as she finished her pie and slid it into the oven; she'd heard a loud shout from one of her many guest rooms. Specifically, the one her newest guest was in. As she used a towel to clean her hands off, she grabbed her sturdiest rolling pin and started for the stairs. When she heard another shout, this one for her in particular, she sped up, thinking of all the worst things that could have happened. When you were a witch of her caliber, it was easy to make enemies.

When she burst into the room, she lowered the pin with a sigh; she wasn't going to need her magic after all. Draped in the bed was a massive black and white furred form. Poking out from under it, she could see a long, black scaled tail with thin spines all along its length. It was lashing back and forth, whipping the furry hide in the process, with little effect. If anything, the being just grunted a little and caught the offending appendage.

"Miss Hecate, help me! There's something crushing me!"

"No, lad, it's just a housecat that had too much milk last night," she said as she walked forward and grabbed the feline by the lazily flicking tail. Putting a fair bit of strength into it, she jerked the furry length towards her and heard a loud roar in reply. "Up you get, ya lazy furball! Yer makin' a bad first impression," she growled out, giving it another firm jerk. This time, the large tiger gave a whimper; whenever you could hear Hecate Lefay's accent clearly, it wasn't a good sign. When she let go, he got out of the bed and looked at her with a hurt expression. "Ma, why'd you pull on my tail? You know that hurts," he whimpered as he stroked the wounded length.

"Because ye were crushin' me newest house guest, ya big fool!" she said, but before she could whack him with her rolling pin, a silvery metal fist shot out from under the blankets and struck the large feline in the jaw with a heavy uppercut. The cat fell back onto his ass, rubbing his jaw as he popped it back into place. He glared at the mound of blankets as the limb slipped back underneath them, followed soon after by the reptilian tail. Hecate started rubbing at her eyes as she prayed to the gods for patience before she walked over to the bed and gently rubbed where a shoulder would be. "There now, lad, was that necessary?" she asked.

"If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have struck," hissed the mound. She just rubbed the shoulder again and started to pull the blankets back. There was a moment of resistance before they finally came free and slowly withdrew to reveal her latest guest as a pale skinned teen. Half of his face was obscured by a thick fall of heavy black hair, and the other half was still buried in the pillow. His right arm was covered in the glimmering metal that had landed the heavy blow to the felines' jaw; random patches and streaks at first up around his shoulder that turned to one solid piece when it hit his elbow. The teen slowly rolled over off his stomach and onto his side, brushing his hair off his face and revealing four thin scars on the left side that cut through his eyebrow on their way down his face. Miraculously, in spite of the old injury, his left eye was still there, but instead of a regular human eye, it was venom green and reptilian. His other eye, however, was emerald green, human, and joining its' cousin in giving the cat the coldest glare the boy could muster.

"Who in Ifrits' name are you, hairball?" he growled. That snapped the feline out of his stupor and caused him to glare back. It was rather intimidating to see a 6'3", four hundred pound slab of muscle and fur glaring at you, especially if it was a pissed off looking tigerkin. The beast stood up and glared down his muzzle at the youth laying in what he considered his bed, in his house. "Who I am, _boy_, is Virosa Arrowcatcher of the Midgar Plains tribe, and best hunter in Lindblum. And you, reptile, are sleeping in my bed."

"The name is Talon; not 'boy', asshole. And this is the room Miss Hecate gave me when I first got here," he snarled back. For a few minutes, the two started arguing, getting progressively louder until they were screaming. In their fury, they didn't even notice the little old lady tapping her foot on the hardwood floors.

That is, they didn't notice until a slight whistling in the air heralded something aimed at them.

_Thwack!_

_Thump!_

Both half-breeds yelped in pain as they clutched their heads. They turned to look at the woman who was tapping the rolling pin against her hand, and giving the two of them a glare worthy of a Grand Dragon. "Ifin' th' two of ye be done wit' ya foolish caterwallin', I'd say it be best fer ya ta start gettin' along," she growled. Both Talon and Virosa looked properly chastised as she stormed back to her kitchen. They looked at each other and winced as the younger extended his metal shod hand. "Truce?" he asked tentatively. When the massive tiger wrapped his comparatively larger hand around his with surprising gentleness and shook it, nodding in agreement, some of the tension left the room.

"Truce. Now, let's go make sure Ma doesn't poison our food for being idiots."

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_Two years later_

"Come on, little bro, you can do better than that!"

Talon hissed low in his throat, the sound reminiscent of a large, very angry serpent. His hands tightened around the heavy broadsword he was wielding as he glared daggers at the massive tiger. Said feline torturer was wielding an old, well cared for broadsword. After getting attacked by a local street gang, the reptile had taken to carrying an oak walking staff. When Virosa returned from one of his assignments from the Hunter's Guild and learned what happened, he'd taken it upon himself to teach his 'little lizard brother' how to fight properly. That had been several months ago, and the larger being didn't seem to be getting the fact that Talon severely hated the weapon he was being forced to use.

"Virosa, I'm telling you, this isn't working!"

"Oh, cut it out, Talon. You're just not practicing enough. Let's go again; I'm sure you'll get it this time," he said, trying to soothe the obvious irritation. For the last three months, the oversized tiger had been trying his adopted little brother on various weapons, from heavy crossbows to double bladed axes. He'd even had the slighter male try using a Zweihander once; _that_ had been a disaster that ended with Talon almost losing the tip of his tail. The broadsword was the smallest, lightest blade Virosa actually kept on the walls of his room. Talon understood the concern his brother had; the bastards had put his arm in a sling, wrapped his chest in bandages, and put a hard cast on the base of his tail. When the tiger had found out what happened, he'd gotten pissed and went for a 'walk' down the same streets his little brother had gone down.

Then again, his version of a 'walk' included two large war hammers and all the pieces of a dark steel plate he could wear.

Talon hissed again and lunged, thrusting the heavy blade at Virosa's stomach. The tiger just batted it away with his own blade, adding a smack to the back of the younger's head with his tail. When the lizard spun and slashed up at him, he blocked again, this time adding a powerful kick to his stomach that sent him back a few feet. Talon hissed as he clutched his gut, letting the tip touch the ground for a moment; that was all Virosa needed to batter him even more with a flurry of kicks, punches, and smacks with the flat of the blade before putting the tip at his throat. When the tiger helped him to his feet, Talon threw the blade on the ground and glared at him. "I told you, damn it! I told you this isn't the weapon I should use!" he shouted before he stormed off.

"Ok, I get it! We'll try a long sword next!" Virosa called after him. His only reply was a scream of rage. He sighed, rubbing his free hand across his hair and pulling it from the warrior's knot he'd kept it in, letting it fall loosely around his head. "I don't know what's wrong with him," he muttered.

"That's because you're clueless, tiger."

He turned around, blade half raised before he sighed and lowered it; leaning against the wall of the little dojo was a woman in a black corset with fur around the top and a skirt with belts crisscrossing in the open front. "Lu, you know it's not a great idea to sneak up on me."

"That may be so," she replied. The black mage pushed herself off the wall and started toward him, a small black cat doll in the crook of her left arm. "But you weren't paying attention. If you were, you would have realized that Talon has been sneaking out at night and learning a few things without you," she finished.

"Huh? Why would he do that?"

"Because you aren't listening to him, Virosa. For the past three months, he's been learning the art of the blade from Noah and his crew."

"What! Why in Shiva's name would he go and learn from that… Assassin?"

"Probably because I actually listened, instead of trying to make him fight with heavy blades."

Virosa turned again, this time seeing a man dressed in heavy steel armor with a blue cloak and a masked helm hiding his face from view. "Then again, after seeing what just transpired, I can understand his current rage at you."

"What would you know about my brother, Gabranth?" the tiger growled. He didn't like the knight before him; something… Sinister seemed to exude from him just standing there. The knight sighed as he removed his helm, revealing the thirty-something blonde man. "And I'm pretty sure I know what's best for him!"

"Wow, Arrowcatcher, and here I thought you were intelligent. Think for a moment; the body difference between the two of you is incredible, all things considering. Where you are built like a boulder, all strength and power, DeTonare is closer to a willow; he has power, yes, but he bends and moves. He's designed for speed, designed to dart around as he strikes."

"I get that, but-" the tiger started, but was interrupted when two screaming whistles cut Virosa off as two spinning circles flew through the air. He just managed to get his sword up in time to block the flying blades when another pair came sailing through the door, followed quickly by two more. He dodged and ducked those four, only to notice them turn like boomerangs and fly back towards the door. Standing there and catching them two at a time, was Talon. Instead of the training armor he'd been dressed in an hour ago, he wore torn trousers with armor plates covering his exposed scales and thighs, a blue tunic, and a black chainmesh trench coat with fur around the collar and missing the right sleeve in favor of a spiked pauldron in its' place. A steel-backed gauntlet covered his left hand, while a metallic snake skull and black mask covered his head. Once he'd clasped the four blades onto a harness on his back, he reached up and removed the mask portion. It went into his belt before he drew out a thin, vicious looking saber of pale white metal, forged in such a way that it looked like it'd been carved out of a bone. The shell was made from a series of ribs, while the hilt was a spine. A small grouping of bone shards created a pommel stone and a ring around the base of the blade.

"Talon? What are you-" Virosa asked, but was again interrupted, this time by the lizard himself darting forward and slashing at him. He blocked, but found that what his little brother lacked with a broadsword, he made up for with the lighter, much quicker weapon. Instead of a lack of skill, Talon was striking with precision and finesse that he couldn't with the heavy blade. "You're good, Talon, and I should have listened," Virosa said, as he blocked a few more strikes accompanied by punches, kicks, and lashings from the reptilian tail. Suddenly, however, he pressed his own attack, showing what years of practice had over months, and quickly put the reptile on the defensive. "But just because you were right and received training from a Black Paladin, doesn't mean you're a master." And with a final slash, he let go of his blade with one hand, wrapped it around Talon's right ankle, and jerked his feet out from under him.

"You still have much to learn," he finished, even as he reached down to pick up the two forgotten disks. "Nice choice with the chakrams, though. I wasn't expecting those." He examined the wheel made from four sharpened blades with a leather grip wrapped behind each raised portion. The steel was pitch black, and covered in small serrations to make the wound that much harder to heal. It was heavier than a shuriken, but light enough that, when hurled with enough force, it would sheer through muscle and sinew. "Considering what you seem to be aiming for, do you have anything for silent work?"

"Twenty throwing knives," Talon muttered back. Virosa nodded and held out the blades. When the lizard took them back and clicked them into his harness, he smiled a little. "So, does this mean I don't have to train with you anymore?"

The tiger laughed loudly, giving his little brother a grin. "No such luck. It just means that we have to refine what Gabranth taught you."

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_One year later_

Blades clashed again and again as the two warriors worked their way through the horde of goblins, felling monster after monster as they fought. Rings of steel, fire, ice and lightning tore swaths and furrows in the ground and across flesh in another part of the plains, while tongues of flame turned green skin to ash. When the owner of the chakrams caught all six in his hands, he took a moment to look around; things were still in a stalemate, and didn't look to be changing any time soon. With a hissing snarl, he started concentrating on the blades, causing them to drain ambient energy in the air and making them glow with their respective elements. Once they started vibrating in his hands, he grinned.

"Lulu, DOWN!" Talon screamed, even as he spun in a tight circle and released the six enchanted blades. Tails of flame, streaks of thunder, and gales of frost spun in a maelstrom around him as the chakrams hungrily searched for flesh to rend. Screams sounded from the goblins as they were shredded under the force of the attack, leaving bodies torn asunder When all was said and done, there was a ten foot ring of destruction around him as the blades came back to his hands. Talon looked around again, this time noting that the only goblins still alive were the ones running away, and Virosa was picking those off one at a time with Sophia, his oversized crossbow, a weapon known for shooting small ballista bolts. He chuckled lightly to himself and clipped the weapons to his harness again, while Lulu dusted off her little stuffed focus and Gabranth cleaned the blood and other scraps of flesh from his unique thief sword.

"Well, mission accomplished," Virosa said as he lowered his crossbow and collapsed it down to fit into its' harness on his back. He lifted his heavy broadsword from the ground and slid it home in the sheath at his hip, whistling tunelessly to himself while he looked around. "I'd say that's about sixty goblins, wouldn't you?"

"Closer to seventy," the dark knight replied from behind his steel mask. The four of them had teamed up on the mission to get it done quicker, with the incentive that they'd split the pay evenly amongst them; sixty thousand for a horde of thirty goblins, an extra thousand for every five, and a counter enchanted to glow red if it was tampered with in any way to falsify the count. Talon was carrying the device for their group when they left, and he pulled it off his belt to check the result. He started jumping and crowing in joy at the number, waving the device in the air. "Eighty-five! Eighty-five goblins dead and we have proof! That gives us 77,000 gil when we get back to Lindblum!"

The others laughed at his antics, even as they started leading the way back to Dragon's Gate. It was a three day trip to get there, and the four of them were well prepared for it. After hiking until nightfall and covering a good six leagues, they set up for the night. Dinner that night was a thick stew made from some dried beef, vegetables, and seasoned enough to give the meal a touch on the spicy side. When they started to turn in, it was agreed that Virosa would have the first watch, Talon would have the mid, and Gabranth the watch 'til dawn.

When it was his turn, Talon withdrew a violin made of ironwood, and rosined his bow before he set himself to playing. Hecate had told him that learning an instrument would be good for him, no matter what Virosa had to say on the subject. However, it was finding the right one for him that had been a problem; they all knew he would travel, so they needed to take that into account, and that ruled out a full harp or a piano. When he tried to play a guitar or a similar string instrument, it sounded horrible. A flute, clarinet, or horn all sounded like a pair of cats fighting in a burlap sack that'd been dunked in a river. He found himself drawn to the violin, however, and no matter what they tried to tell him about it being too delicate an instrument for a warrior, he kept at it. Hecate herself had been proud of his choice, and set into teaching him all she knew about the way it worked; chords and notes, sonnets and country ditties, and ways to make it sound like multiple instruments were playing were just a few of the things she'd taught him. By the time she deemed his skill acceptable, he was talented enough to play in the theater as part of the orchestra.

When he asked the woman how much she knew, she'd proceeded to lead him to her room. There, she took out an oiled case and withdrew a beautifully crafted violin, and started to play better than most of the 'master' violinists he'd heard when his errands took him through the Theater District. She didn't stop there, however; when she finished with the violin, she opened a wardrobe and pulled out a large harp, and played that with the same skill. When asked how long she'd been playing, she just cackled and said she'd been playing longer than Talon had been drawing breath.

As he played, he started to sway back and forth, letting the music flow through him and moving to the soft melody. He went into full dancing as the tempo picked up, and he used his feet to keep time as he played. The world seemed to hold its' breath as he spun in tight circles, his eyes closed as he performed for an unseen audience.

Talon never saw what hit him, but he definitely felt the pain and saw the flash of white behind his eyelids before he lost consciousness. When Virosa, Gabranth and Lulu found him hours later, surrounded by a destroyed goblin encampment and covered in blood with the counter reading 185, he refused to answer any questions about what happened. He didn't say anything for the rest of the trip, and never told them what happened.

_**XI XI XI XI XI XI XI XI XI**_

_One year later_

"So, my liege, why exactly did you call in a mercenary to do this job, instead of assigning it to one of your Black Paladins? I know Gabranth is on leave, but you could have easily given the task to Valentine or Cecil," Talon said. He'd been summoned by Regent Cidolfus Lindblum IX, and told that he had a new job.

"Both Valentine and Cecil are out on missions, along with Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal," the regent replied.

"Understandable. But why not send in Sergeants Dincht, Leonheart or Almasy?"

"Because, the one thing all those names have in common in the most obvious: They are all part of the Lindblum Royal Army and Navy in some way. No, what I need is someone who is an unknown, despite his past history. Someone who has the training of the black order, the skill of the castle guard, the intelligence of the mages, and the common sense of a thief. In other words, Mr. DeTonare, I need your unique skill set."

Talon nodded; he'd figured that when he'd been given the information about the job. He was one of those people that could vanish in a crowded room, in spite of his more obvious features. "So, retrieval mission, eh? Who am I teamed with, since I doubt I'm the only one on this," he said. Cid chuckled and set out a series of folders on his desk, each bearing the emblem of a golden 'T' superimposed on a set of six feathers held together by a pair of aviator's goggles. He sighed as he flipped through the pages, skimming over the information as he did; Talon didn't need the files to know exactly who it was he was working with. After all, he'd worked with this crew on numerous occasions, though that was as their opening act or in the pits.

"Tantalus, huh? Having a well-known theatre troupe as my ride out, that's a new one."

"Actually, you have the roles reversed; Tantalus is the recovery team, and you're the transporter," the Regent said, grinning at the incredulous look on the man's face. "As I said, you're skill set is very much necessary for this to go off smoothly, but if you want to be technical, you're actual role is as added insurance to make sure it gets done." Cid stood up and walked around the desk, still grinning at the surprised merc. "Besides, you can't really say no, remember? You owe me a debt, and you're still working it off. You're getting paid, of course, but you might as well be part of the Guard."

As Talon started getting angrier, the regent lifted a placating hand and motioned the lizard hybrid down. "How about I make the job a bit more palatable? Just so it'll go down a bit easier for you," he said. When the warrior nodded, Cid gave him a smile. "If you do this job for me, your debt is paid in full. No more jobs you can't refuse; no more working for me unless I pay the same as anyone else. I'll be just another client for you instead of someone who can make you do any task without having to pay you. Does that sound reasonable to you, DeTonare?"

He sat there and gaped at the royal in front of him as he watched what he knew to be nothing more than bait was dangled blatantly in front of him. However, Talon knew he had no choice but to bite, so he sighed, stood, and took the Cid's right hand in his metallic one. "You have a deal, my liege," he said. When the man tried to remove his hand from the iron grip, however, he couldn't without shredding his hand in the razor sharp talons.

He had to take the job; that didn't mean he couldn't throw his own wrench in the gears.

"You have a deal, _my liege_, but I want it in writing, with your seal on it."

"Don't you trust your own regent? That's insulting, young man."

"Oh, I trust the throne; it's human nature I lost faith in," Talon hissed. He was wearing a smile that was all fang and no kindness. When he let Cid's hand go, the man quickly looked at the back of it; a thin gash decorated the, and four more covered the side. The regent waved at the walls, and the familiar, soft creak of crossbows easing tension rang in the mercenary's ears. While Cid wrote the contract, Talon pulled a thin black pen from his belt and waited. Once he'd read the contract, he clicked the pen, sending a thin needle into his thumb and drew some blood into the cartridge. With a flourish, he signed the contract and spun it back around. After Cid added his signature with a similar pen and added the Seal of Lindblum to the bottom. He gave the younger man a harsh glare as he withdrew a sheet of parchment from his belt and set it on top of the contract. Tapping it with a clean feather from his pouch caused the contract underneath to copy itself perfectly, down to the little imperfections in the paper.

The mercenary smiled as he turned to leave. When he reached the door, he looked back and gave a chuckle. "A pleasure doing business with you, my lord," he said, and laughed as he walked out to Regent Cidolfus Lindblum IX cursing like the sailor he was. He was almost sad that he couldn't stay around to listen to the more creative ones, but he had a schedule to keep, supplies to get, and go have a few words with a certain purple haired thief master about how they were going to work together to stay out of each other's way.

After all, they had a performance in a few weeks' time, and they needed to be at their best.

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_Well, my friends, I hope this offering is good enough to mark my return. It took me forever to get the character right, his interaction with people good, and multiple other things to get this ready in my eyes for you, and even then, I still feel it isn't up to par with my past work. Please, I beg you to be gentle in your evaluation of this beginning, and remember that I'm still shaking the rust off my pen and the cobwebs from my mind._

_-GC_


	2. Chapter I: Acting the Part

_Well, it seems my return is well accepted. Again, I apologize for how long it took, but I am part of the U.S. Navy now, so it's harder to get time and inspiration for my work. Not that I don't plan to keep up; on the contrary, I fully intend on it. It just means I can't update often. On that note, I remind you that for any disclaimers, please read the A.N. of the first chapter. But, that is neither here nor there. I now present the chapter that gets us into the tale._

**Chapter I: Acting the Part**

'_Never again,'_ I thought, clutching my head in pain as the small lamp threw its' light across the room; it was a diabolic thing in my eyes, considering the little mirrors that made the light fill the room. While I personally believed the man who created it was an absolute genius, and deserved the royalties he received from its' innovations, at the moment, I viewed it with almost the same loathing that I held towards goblins. However, with the fact that each individual mirror and lens was enchanted to be unbreakable, there was no way to destroy it. I could still remember the challenge two years ago; the man who could break one would be the proud owner of a hundred thousand gil. The prize was still unclaimed.

When I walked through the door to the next room, I found it blessedly dimmer; it helped that the four candles didn't have the same coverings as the one outside. The five men inside tensed for a moment before relaxing; they'd been briefed that I was actually part of their team on this job. "Didn't think to wait, Brackson?" I hissed at Baku. He only chuckled in response and motioned to the seat next to their little model of the castle. I leaned against the wall in spite of the man it was near.

"Figured you'd need your rest for this evening, all things considering," he replied. I started to growl at his laughter; at the moment, it grated on my ears worse than nails on a chalkboard. "It's your own fault you agreed to the game in the first place."

"Yes, and we both know you cheated. I'm not sure how, but I know you did."

"Ah, don't get yer panties in a knot, t'was all in good fun." Baku turned serious all of a sudden as he turned back to the crew. "Now that we're all here, let's get this under way. As the great theatre troupe Tantalus, that's us, lands in the castle's courtyard, we're going to be preforming the hit play, 'I Want To Be Your Canary' for the beautiful Princess Garnet's sweet sixteen. Of course, we were lucky enough that one of the best violinists of Lindblum, Talon DeTonare, asked to be our opening act and part of our orchestra for the evening. Now, Marcus, I hope you've been practicing, 'cause you got the lead," Cinna growled out. Marcus nodded and grinned.

"Hey, I got this easy; it's what's going on while I have the crowds' eyes on me that's the tricky part. That's where Zidane and Blank come in," he said.

"And while you're the distraction for the masses, I'll provide the diversion for the guards," Blank added. He held up a small cage full of ogglops and shuddered. "I hate these damned things, but I'll manage to keep control long enough to introduce 'em to their new habitat."

Zidane chuckled when they looked to him. "At which point I'll slip a bit of sleeping weed in the fair Princess' tea before it goes out to her. When she goes to her room to lie down, she'll be out like a light, and easy as hell to get back to the _Prima Vista_, at which point two of the Erro brothers will stand watch at her door until the play is over. The dose should keep her under for a good six hours, but we don't know if she's built up a slight immunity to it since we couldn't get her medical records."

"Of course, during all this, we'll be wrapping up for the audience, taking our final bows, and gettin' the hell outta here," Baku said, and he looked at me. I nodded from my position against the wall and smirked. "You know your role, right?"

"You mean the one where I take position at the lovely ladies' door and play guard duty? Of course, Baku; remember, I'm here as added insurance to make sure the job gets done in case shit hits the fan and this goes south, fast. If that happens, all bets are off and I get to take off the kiddie gloves," I said. I stretched and cracked by back from my shoulders down to the tip of my tail; it was looking to be a long week of flight, but it was doable.

The thief master nodded once and clapped his hands. "Ok, boys, let's get ready; final rehearsal's goin' down as soon as we land, and the orchestra's gotta tune their shit. After that, it's the real deal and we pull off the biggest heist in history since the theft of the Ifrit's Tear Ruby!" Four cheers were his response as I left the room, followed shortly by the rest of the crew. It was the easiest job I'd had since I became a mercenary four years ago. Not only was the pay high enough to sate my needs, I'd be out from under Cid's thumb the moment the job was done; freedom was right around the bend, and all I had to do was what amounted to a babysitting gig.

What could go wrong?

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

As I was wrapping the robe bottom around my waist to hide my rather unique appendages, a knock was rattled off on my door in a pattern I hadn't heard in a while. I just chuckled and clasped the fabric and belt in place. "Door's open, Tribal," I called, attaching the black leather pouch that was a lot deeper than it looked to the belt. Zidane came in and gave me a grin. "Ya know, lizard lips, ya still look like a crossdresser when you put that thing on," he laughed.

"Your point? You still look like the bastard love-child of a monkey and a hamster." I replied sweetly. He just laughed even more and rolled his eyes, grabbing the sleeveless green overcoat I wore for performances. The shorter man tossed it to me, and I caught it deftly from the air and shrugged it on. He just shook his head and sighed. "You've gotta tell me how you do that one day," he said wistfully.

"Tell you how I do what?"

"Catch pretty much everything that's thrown at you."

"Zidane, when half of your weapons are bladed disks that are designed to be thrown and come back at you, you get really good at catching things," I replied. He just rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Hey, I'm good at catching things; it's just I still think you're suicidal for choosing something that can kill you on the rebound," he said. I just laughed and rolled up the left sleeve of my tunic; the flesh beneath was decorated with about a hundred scars, almost all of them a laceration.

"I wasn't always so skilled with 'em. When I first started, I couldn't even catch one without getting hurt; let's just say I'm glad Noah had a doc on hand at the time."

"Yeah, but most people stick with two disks; you use six."

"Just goes to show that practice makes perfect," I said easily.

"Or that you have a subconscious urge to kill yourself by lodging six blades in your chest," he muttered. I just grinned and picked up the lacquered black case that held my violin. On my way past, I put my right hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"Zidane, I think you're forgetting something," I said quietly, and flipped my left hand over to reveal the rune tattooed on the palm. He looked at it and took off his left glove, revealing a different rune on his. We stood there for a moment, and I could almost hear his thoughts running through his mind; memories of a searing pain and blood spilt over a small alter, leaving three lonely friends with a connection as deep as blood, each with a unique rune on their left palm defining their very being. "I will do everything in my power, no matter the situation, to keep myself from dying."

He nodded and looked at our hands, knowing the meaning of two runes that only three people could read. "Thanks for reaffirming that, Brother Assassin," he said quietly.

I just shook my head and clapped the hand on his shoulder a few times. "Never a problem, Brother Rouge. Now come on; we got a crowd to amaze, and we both know that there'll be beautiful women there for you to ogle."

"I gotta ask, Tal: Are you dead or something? I've shown you some of the hottest girls I know, and you don't even twitch!"

"You just haven't shown me anything I'm attracted to, Ziddy."

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

The final note rang for a few seconds before the applause started. I took a deep breath and stood, giving a traditional bow as I was recognized for all the time I'd devoted to the instrument; it wasn't easy being one of the best, and anyone who had seen me spend entire weeks doing nothing but practice could attest to that. Of course, I was nowhere _near_ Hecate's level of skill in every string instrument she used, nor could I compete with Squall's talent when he picked up a flute.

He still refused to tell me why one of the deadliest warriors was so skilled with the delicate instrument.

As Baku walked on stage, dressed as King Leo, he waved the crowd down and gave me an apologetic look; that put me on guard in an instant. "Ladies and gentlemen, Your Majesty and Your Highness, and of course our rooftop viewers, I thank you for coming to join us for Tantalus' performance of 'I Want To Be Your Canary!'" he said, basking in the cheers for a few moments before quieting the audience again. "Unfortunately, our lead actor for the play had an accident, and won't be able to come on to take the role, but worry not! I know of another man who can take the job, if you can help me convince him." The larger man turned to me and raised his hands in my direction. "Gale, my friend, your skill with the violin is well known; what many don't know is that you're also an actor of high caliber!"

I just stared at the thief, realization and horror slowly dawning on me as I figured out what he was about to do.

"Since poor Marcus is unable to perform this evening, I must ask this of you: Will you take up the mantle of a great role, and make sure that the show goes on?" he asked. I could see the grin behind his beard as we listened to the crowd make my decision for me; that's why he'd come out on stage and did the presentation like he did. As they roared for me to take the part, I gave Baku the coldest glare I could manage, even as I raised my hands to quiet the mob.

"It seems I must, old friend, since there is no one else available to take the job. I accept," I said, with all the cheer and patience I wasn't feeling as the crowd went wild. "How could I not, when you gave me _such_ a kind review to the good people of Alexandria?" With that, I turned and walked calmly backstage, where I promptly stalked towards my dressing room to find the costume laid out for me. I hissed and threw it against the wall; I couldn't wear it and keep my identity hidden. Instead, I began changing into my usual combat gear, with the exception of missing my helmet and wrapping the fabric back around my waist. Fang was sheathed at my left hip, and my six chakrams were clicked in place on their harness as I got ready to go. As a last moment thought, I reached into my pouch and drew out an eye patch made of one way glass and a strip of black cloth. The eye patch went over my rather unique left eye, and the cloth turned into a makeshift bandana.

I opened the door just as Zidane was about to knock. He looked at me critically for a few seconds before he sighed. "Why didn't you just put on the costume we left you?

"Maybe because it would have left my entire right arm and my lower half exposed," I growled back. He thought about it and nodded, leading the way to the beginning of what was turning into a very long night for me.

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

"_Baku, you _so _owe me for this one," _I hissed as he threw me across the wooden stage. We'd been fighting for the past ten minutes, trading insults and curses between slashes and stabs. The original plan was just for a quick three minute 'battle', but that had quickly escalated with my irritation at being forced into the role in the first place, so I wasn't following the script on this one. Most of our 'lines' weren't in the original play, but one can't be a performer without learning how to improvise; I gotta admit, though, 'maggot-spawn of a rabid lizard' was aiming below the belt. The play-king gave me a meaningful glare, and I twirled my prop sword into a slightly more awkward grip; he noticed and charged. In seconds, I was disarmed and on my knees, his sword at my throat as the guards held my arms.

I thrashed and struggled against my captors, but I wasn't putting my all into it; I was supposed to remain captured.

"Pitiful; to think, a mere _boy_ came expecting to best a king; I earned mine throne through bloodshed, Marcus Garretsson. I best'd all who came before me as they tried to steal _my_ birthright," Leo sneered. I growled in response as he touched the tip to my cheek and drew it down; a thin stipe of 'blood' followed it as it flicked down and splattered the stage. "Thy blood upon mine blade is thin as water; just as expected from the common rabble."

He laughed as he walked a few feet away, sheathing his jewel encrusted sword at his hip. "Truly, do thine eyes deceive thee? Didst thy matron drop ye upon thy crown as a babe, to instill such fool ideas? Love is but a fairytale, boy!" He turned to give me a sneering smile, looking down on me as so much filth. As the clock struck, he started to laugh. "T'would seem to matter not, however; when yon bell strikes thrice, thy head falls with the axe!"

"I needn't worry over that, fool tyrant," I snarled back.

"Oh? Please, do enlighten me; does that fool's brain entertain such visions as rescue?"

"Nay, I know mine fate; t'is the fact that thy fetid stench shall rob the poor headsman of his sport," I grinned viciously as he turned red. He looked about to say something, but I didn't give him a chance. "What be the problem, _Your Majesty_?" The title dripped malice and venom as I snarled it. "Doth truth ring hollow in thine ears? Accept it, Leo, t'was _you_ who drove fair Cornellia to mine arms; t'was _you_, with foolish dreams of riches, that sent her to mine tavern. Thy misfortune is fault to none but thyself and the greed thou doth cling to as a suckling babe." I gave him one final grin, and delivered the final blow.

"In truth, I shouldst thank thee; t'is surely an extravagant wedding gift, _Father_."

Leo raised one leather clad hand and struck, hard. I could feel the wind leaving my lungs as he snarled wordlessly in my ear. After he pulled back, he started pacing around the stage, looking reminiscent of a wolf leashed to a pole. "Thou dare? Thou _dare_ to insinuate a possible marriage to mine daughter!? NEVER!" he screamed in my face. The king spat at me and spun to face the crowd, though his words were still directed my way. "Truly, Marcus, thou art a hopeless fool! The very fact that such deprav'd notions _entered_ thy brain attests to the rot that festers there. Didst ye believe me to welcome thee with arms open'd wide? Disgusting worm, I shall see thee dead before mine kingdom falls to thy hands! The fallacy of thy imaginings, where thou doth take my throne with mine daughter, shall never come to pass, filthy dog. Once the headsman finishes with thee, I shall have thy head preserved and mounted to the city walls ov'r the north gate; all shall know thy name, bastard spawn of an alley whore as thou are, as the fool who tri'd to love beyond his place. And furthermore-"

At that moment, there was a soft rumble from beneath the stage; shortly after, one of the hidden platforms rose, revealing a familiar blonde thief and a woman draped in a hooded tunic, followed shortly by a second platform bearing a large knight in slightly rusted armor. From the woman's bearing, I guessed at noble lineage, and the stupefied look on the knight's said this was a surprise to him, as well. If I had to guess, things hadn't gone as planned with the other part of our task. I used the lax moment to escape from the guards holding me and wrapped the woman in a tight, loving embrace.

"Cornellia!"

She was startled for a moment, but quickly recovered, wrapping her arms around my back and pressing her face into my chest. "O, Marcus, my love, I missed you so! I wish nev'r to leave thy side; prithee, lead me from this place!"

"Flawless delivery, Your Highness; I'd swear you were an actress," I murmured. I felt her giggle against my chest as looked up into my eyes.

"Thank you. I've been studying plays for years, and this was one of my favorites," she whispered back.

"I hate to break it up, you guys, but we've got to get this show on the road," Zidane hissed. He turned to the play-king and schooled his face into an image of the peacemaker. "See, King Leo? T'is true love between them! If any word be spoken, it should be naught but thy blessing!"

Leo adopted a thoughtful look and paced the stage for a moment before he raised his arm and swung it out to the side sharply. "Never!" he snarled, before giving the princess a chill, mocking gaze. "'Never leave thy side,' thou sayest? Foolish banter! I forbid this, Cornelia; to wed this… Peasant is beneath thy station in life. No, thy duty to myself as thy father, and thy country as its' princess, is to marry this man- Prince Schneider!" He clapped his hand down on the knight's shoulder, startling him from his daze. "Is that not so, Prince Schneider?" he asked.

"M-marry the Princess? Me?!" he said. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes; if this had been in Lindblum, I know he would have been required by Cid to read something other than training manuals, even if it was histories. Baku, however, rolled with it like the seasoned professional he was, and nodded.

"Aye! And as for this treacherous crew, I shall put them to death!" And with another wave of his arm, the guards struck, swinging gleaming blades at myself and Zidane. The thief ducked the blade and laid the masked man out with a 'solid' uppercut, while I turned the downward strike with the back of my metallic hand and slammed my other hand into his chest. The two of them gasped and helped each other up before running off with calls of, 'Too many,' and 'Retreat!'

Leo looked startled for a moment before he schooled his expression, taking on the visage of a pained father who only wanted the best for his daughter. "Pray, sweet daughter, come home to the castle; t'is possible to discuss this further, come, perhaps, to an acceptable arrangement," he crooned, sugary words dripping poison honey as they were spoken.

"Nay, Father! I shant return!" she said.

Gone in an instant were the sweet words and loving, soulful eyes. In their place was a mask of barely contained fury and hate. "Corneila, trouble me no more with this. T'is my wish as thy father that thy wedding to Prince Schneider come about, and it would be _best_ if remembered that this wedding is for _thy_ benefit above all," he hissed. I snarled wordlessly as I pushed the princess back behind me and slowly drew the glittereing sword from its sheath.

"T'is my turn to denounce thee with 'never,' Leo; now, I have mine chance for vengeance against you. For my parents, my brothers," I growled, and my eyes flicked back to Garnet. "And for my beloved Cornelia… I sentence thee to the death thou pronounced for me!" With those final words, I leapt forward, gleaming blade leading as it plunged deep… In to the heart of the fair princess.

"Cornelia!" two voices rang, mine and Leo's.

"Princess!" the knight screamed. His arms flew into the air as he lost control of his emotions.

"Marcus," she gasped. Garnet looked into my tear-filled eyes with love and acceptance. "Forgive me… My love, but… I still… Love my father." She turned her eyes upon Leo and smiled gently. "Father, pray… Forgive me my foolishness… And spare my sweet Marcus…" she whispered, even though it carried through the silent air as if she'd shouted. With those final words, she closed her eyes and laid still.

"Gods, what have I done?! In mine fools' quest for revenge, I sundered from this coil mine true love! Am I to never hear the sweet music of her voice? Am I damned to forever wake without her beauty at mine side? Truly, Fate is cruel in her humor!" I lifted the blade that stole my beloved's life and held it aloft. "Thief of life! I give thee a final task, blade; take me, and send me to my love!" The crowd gasped as I slammed the blade home and fell to the deck, dead to the world as Zidane rushed to my side and Leo cried to the heavens for forgiveness.

As the curtains were about to close, however, two knights chased a little boy in a blue overcoat onto the stage. They ran in circles for a few times before the boy jumped Garnet's body and raised his hands. "S-stay back!" he shouted, and a burst of flame flew from his palms and landed on the first flammable object they could touch.

Unfortunately, that just so happened to be the princess' hooded tunic. Almost immediately, she jumped up and started struggling with the burning fabric, finally jerking it loose with a curse and throwing it off to the side. "Shiva's breath, that's hot," she swore. I growled and stood up, throwing a glance at the aggravated crowd and then up to the balcony. I could tell the moment the queen figured out it was her daughter on stage; her rage turned her ugly face into a hideous ruin. It's sad, to say the least; I'd heard stories of Shiva's Rose, a title that was given to the most beautiful women across the Mist Continent. Queen Brahne til Alexandros had held it undisputed until roughly five years ago.

I turned to the thief master and stepped away from the front of the stage. "Baku, this is going pear-shaped fast; get us in the air and out of here ASAP," I said. He grinned and nodded, slamming his fist to his chest. "That was the plan to begin with; just buy me ten minutes, an' we'll be long gone." Baku ran off backstage, two of the Nero brothers following close behind. The others were arguing with the large knight, and getting nowhere fast.

"Steiner, stop following me!" Garnet shouted; as if to complete the image of a spoiled brat, she stomped her foot on the ground. I just rolled my eyes and growled slightly while the knight seemed to think about his orders for a moment. "My apologies, Princess, but I cannot follow that order. I shall protect you from these brigands!"

The young lady rolled her eyes and sighed. "Stubborn as always, aren't you, Steiner?" she asked; it sounded closer to a statement than anything else, though. I thought of something, and stepped forward with my hands outstretched. "Sir Knight, a question, if you will permit it," I said. He looked suspicious, but Steiner nodded for me to continue. "Your orders are to protect the princess at all costs, correct?"

"Aye, what of it?"

"Then perhaps we can reach an agreement; we came with the purpose of taking the princess with us. My guess, considering that things didn't go according to plan, is that she chose to willingly come along with us for her own reasons. My suggestion is this: Instead of trying to stand in her way, why not escort her to her destination as her guardian?"

That seemed to throw the knight for a loop; he thought on it for a long moment before he shook his head and glared at me. "Despite the honorable nature of your idea, I must decline. Brigands such as yourself and these thieves can never be trusted to keep your word," he growled, and punctuated his statement by drawing the massive broadsword from his back and drawing back into a rigid fighting stance. I sighed and shook my head as I unclipped two of the chakrams from my back; this was going to be irritating, at best, painful at worst.

"Princess, do you know how to fight?" Zidane asked. She shook her head, but drew out a beautifully carved rod topped with a metal sphere.

"No," she said, even though she held the ornate focus with ease that bespoke long practice. "I am, however, capable of healing injuries should the need arise." Ah, a white mage; always a well-loved part of any team. The little black mage started twisting his hat in his hands worriedly as I turned to look at him. I just sighed and kneeled down in front of him, and held the two disks in my left hand. With the right, I gently caught his wrist and caused him to look at me. I gave him a soft smile and carefully pulled his hand from the hat.

"If you keep that up, little one, you'll need to get a new hat," I said gently. He nodded shyly and looked at me with soulful, glowing eyes. "Now, may I ask you for your name?"

"Um… I-it's Vivi, s-sir," he mumbled. I just chuckled and shook my head.

"Well, Vivi, my name is Talon, Tal for short. I'd be honored if you called me by either name," I said. He nodded, and I almost felt my heart melt at how gentle the child was. "I hate to ask this of you, but can you help us? We're trying to take the princess to Lindblum to see her uncle, but we can't do that if the queen has her way." He hesitated for a moment before he nodded, reaching under his coat and drawing out a gnarled little oak staff. Despite the obvious age of it, the wood looked well cared for and smooth from years of use; power radiated from the clump of knots at the head, and simultaneously felt cold, hot and tingly all at once.

I smiled and patted his shoulder in thanks before I stood and glared at the knight who was arguing with his two subordinates; the younger men seemed to have qualms about fighting anywhere near the princess. When I finally got tired of it, one of my chakrams lashed out with a whistling scream; even though it was deflected, it soared back into my hand, though it did leave their attention turned back to us. "Are we going to do this, or what? We have a schedule to keep, and you're in the way."

"Someone's impatient…" Zidane muttered, and gave me a grin when my glare transferred to him. "What?"

"Zidane, I just want to get this over with so we can go back home," I growled. He shrugged and laughed before turning slightly more serious. "So, which do you want, lizard lips? Rustalot, Goon One, or Goon Two?"

"I'll take the goons; just keep the knight off my back," I hissed, giving a smile that was full of fangs as I launched the two chakrams at their individual targets. They were deflected again and returned, but I fully had their attention as I dashed forward, blades held in an 'X' across my chest. Normally, this would be suicidal for someone using anything of lesser quality than ebony or dragon bone, and even then, it was considered a bad idea for regular chakrams.

But 'normal' is so overrated where it comes to weapons.

Two swords clashed against my blackened steel disks and I chuckled as they blinked, right before I pushed them back and used the two blades as daggers. The jagged metal put shallow gouges in their steel breastplates before they got out of range, and I sent the disks spinning again, this time scoring a hit on the first knight while the second tried to slash me across the right arm. I laughed as the steel screeched against my pauldron and then my metallic arm before I caught the blades once more. "Nice try, kid, but you're not gonna get through that metal easily," I bragged, just before I gave a hiss of pain as the second knight struck through fabric around my waist and put a gash on my tail.

"Pride comes before the fall, brigand," he laughed, and struck again; this time, the blow glanced off a steel disk and I slammed my fist into his face. He fell to the wooden deck clutching his now broken nose, while the second followed the first's example and slashed my hidden tail. I snarled wordlessly and slashed him across his arms with my chakrams, causing him to drop his sword. Electricity cackled across the blades and in my eyes as I glared at him. He gulped nervously before he picked up his fallen sword and took off, saying something about being late for a date. When I turned to the other, he was also gone, though a trail of blood droplets said which direction he'd gone in.

"Huh; guess the quality of knights in Alexandria's gone down," I muttered; seconds later, a heavy steel fist slammed into my back and sent me sprawling. When I rolled over and onto my feet, I turned just in time to suck my stomach in from getting slashed by a slightly familiar sword; as it was, the tip rent through my coat and the front of my shirt. I glared at the heavily armored knight captain as he drew the sword back to his side. "Now was that really necessary?" was my demand. He just glared and charged again. This time, I blocked with both of my disks, though I felt the heavy vibration through my arms. _'Ifrit's blood, this guy's strong! I can't get close to him with these things,'_ I thought. I lashed out with my foot as he pulled back for another strike; it obviously didn't hurt him, but the talons on the tips of my toes put a trio of gouges in the chest plate and knocked him back a few steps. Zidane was soon distracting him again as I clipped the two disks onto my back and drew the bone-white saber from its' sheath. I grinned at the familiar, sinister looking blade; Reaper was old, passed through many hands down the ages, and faithful to the one it chose as its' master. I pressed the ribs of the guard shell to my lips as I gazed into the black crystal at the base of the blade. "Time to sing, old friend," I whispered, and I thought I felt a thrum of excitement from the sinister weapon as I swung the saber to the side in a salute.

Just as Steiner was about to cleave through an opening in the blonde thief's' defenses, my sword was there, blocking the heavier steel with a harsh ring. He stared at me for a moment before drawing back to strike again; once more, my sword was in place to catch the blade with a similar ring as before. This time, I slid Reaper down the blade and put a slash on his armor, forming three 'X's where it intersected with the damage done by my talons. He just glared, and continued his assault, trying to cut through my guard and pushing me back. While the latter was working, the former wasn't; too much time fighting against Virosa, and his strength was harder to counter. There was a near constant ringing of gleaming bright steel clashed with bone-white metal, both blades hunting for an opening that wasn't there and blocking strikes that could have been fatal. However, one of us had to slip up at one point, and the duel would end.

When I felt my foot come down on something metallic, I knew it was me, even as I watched the prop sword I'd used not ten minutes before go clanging away across the deck.

Even as I lay there dazed, staring up at the knight holding the heavy sword ready to plunge into my chest, I saw a gleam of respect, forged through fire and battle from one warrior to another. Just as the sword started to fall, a burst of flame caused Steiner to stumble and stab the sword deep into the wood just to my left; the blade cut through the metal weave of my sleeve and into my arm; not deep, but enough to be distracting and cause complications if I wasn't careful. While I rolled away from the sword and picked up my own blade, coming up on my feet with a hiss, Zidane preformed a beautiful flying kick that sent the knight sprawling for a bit. I snarled as I felt my rage start to build; it felt like a lightning storm coursing through my blood as I raised the blade. "Time to feed," I hissed, and dashed forward with as much speed as I could, the bone-white saber almost glowing in the stage lights.

As the blade struck Steiner's armor with a metallic ring, he froze and started to spasm before he dropped like a stone. He lay there convulsing while I glared down at him.

"Tal… What did you do?"

I glanced back and gave a grim smile, before I spun the razor sharp blade in a tight circle and slid it home in its' sheath. "Let's just say I gave him a small shock," was all I said before I started walking back towards them. A groan and creaking armor made me turn back to stare in awe and horror at the knight getting back to his feet shakily. "That's not possible…"

Zidane patted me on the shoulder. "Maybe you made a mistake," he said. "It happens to everyone."

"There was enough charge in that strike to put him down for at least an hour, more considering his metal armor. He shouldn't even be conscious, let alone moving!"

"I am stronger than I look, rouge; there is no way I would fall from such a pathetic trick," Steiner growled. Before I could respond, the theatre ship lurched slightly as it started to rise. I grinned and looked at Zidane; he was sharing my smirk.

"Looks like Baku finally got us airborne," he said.

"About time. No worries, Princess; we'll be out of here soon and on the way home," I said, and the ship lurched again; this time, it was from a chained harpoon that smashed through the deck. It was followed shortly after by more on all sides. Four were planted deeply in the wooden stage, and each one tethered our ship to the castle walls. The chilling rasp of steel moving against stone resonated throughout the amphitheater pool as the large seal of Alexandria attached to the castle walls split in two and revealed a massive, black iron cannon. It rose and centered in its' sights on the stage and paused for a few seconds before a large iron globe was launched from the depths of the castle. All I could make out before it split was a series of binding seals and a timed release catch. When it burst apart, it unleashed the one monster that was a game of chance all on its' own: A Bomb.

It floated behind the knight, burning malevolence and sizzling hatred, with only a thirst of destruction glowing in its' eyes. How Steiner didn't notice the monster behind him, I will never know. As he raised his blade and pointed at us, I just shook my head in awe. Garnet was of the same opinion, apparently, as she pointed behind the knight. "Steiner, look behind you!"

"I shan't fall for such a trick, Princess," he replied, and he launched himself forward at Zidane. His sword met the twin daggers and was held there before the blonde pushed him back. He glared at the larger man, irritated as his daggers came back up again. "Hey, Rustalot, there's a Bomb behind you!"

The knight replied with a heavy kick that sent the thief tumbling backwards. Just as he was about to chase after the thief, Blank came flying out of the eaves with sword drawn and hacking at Steiner's arms. The knight kept blocking the strikes, but Blank was moving too fast to put up an effective counterattack. "Talon, don't just stand there! Take down that damned thing!' he shouted. I looked over my shoulder at the fiery beast floating at the other end of the stage and gulped; it'd grown at least once since the battle started, and looked just about ready to do it again. Without even thinking about it, I sent two of my chakrmas spinning at it, these two trailing arcs of cold blue energy. I can honestly say I felt some satisfaction when the ugly beast screeched in pain and some of its' molten blood fell and burned the deck. As the two chilled weapons came back, it glared at me, and I could see its' ugly face split into a sneering grin, just before it swelled from the heavy gasses swirling inside its' core.

"This won't work… Vivi!" I called. He looked at me and blinked. "I need your help, kid; Can you cast a Blizzard spell on the Bomb when I give the signal?"

"Um… I-I think so…" he mumbled shyly. I hid a smile and fought to keep from burying him in a hug; the kid was adorable, and I was starting to think of him as a little brother. _'Is this what Virosa feels when he talks to me?'_ I thought, but I shook my head and started to concentrate on the two disks in my hands. They started to vibrate and glow pale blue in my hands from the energy compacting into them. I could see Vivi chanting softly and moving his staff in complex, practiced movements as he prepared his spell. Our timing had to be perfect if this was going to work, and there was a chance one of us would be too fast or too slow. When the blades felt like they were about to fly apart, I grinned and sent them flying straight ahead of me. "Vivi, NOW!" I shouted. He nodded and finished his casting, causing a block of ice the size of a cannon to drop on the monster from above.

A little fun fact that only masters knew about the chakrams was definitely one of its' most lethal. The Maelstrom skill was destructive when used in a widening circle around the user, and often left devastation in a ten foot circle. Most could only use it around themselves, but someone with the appropriate skill of the magical weapons could _send_ them to their target and release the energized twister the second they hit. If someone timed it right with magic, they could add more power and speed to the skill. There were tales of true masters of black magic and chakrmas creating effects likened to natural disasters when they let loose.

Personally, I was nowhere near that kind of power, but I could energize an electrical Maelstrom if I had to.

While my blades screamed closer and finally bit into the burning hide, I had to curse; my timing was off by mere seconds, and the Blizzard spell dissolved right as the blades unleashed their power. The skill tore into it and left dead marks and slashes in the flesh, but it wasn't enough. It seemed to sneer at us before it grew one final time to critical mass. "IT'S GONNA BLOW!" Zidane screamed, and I didn't think as I dragged Vivi to the ground and covered his body with mine. Seconds later, the Bomb screamed and burst, the burning gasses released in a massive explosion that shrouded the entire ship in grey smoke.

I opened my eyes and glared out of the smoke, activating the enchantment in the glassy eye patch to glare through the smoke and watch the queen. I could see her prancing around and grinning, having her fan as she cheered at our 'defeat'. Second later, that grotesque joy turned to disbelief and burning rage tinged with hate as the _Prima Vista_ flew out of the cloud and towards the outskirts of the city. One of the towers fell off the back and crashed into a building as the keel tore through a roof. I sighed and called to the chakrams that were embedded in the deck from the blast. They both soared back to my hands and were clipped back in place.

Steiner was staring in shock at where the bomb had gone off. I looked around at the destruction and shook my head; half the set was reduced to burning rubble, while the rest was charred beyond repair. A good portion of the stage was demolished, and there was no saving what few places had remained unaffected during the entire conflict. Several of the pillars holding up the orchestra pit had been heavily damaged, and the harpoons that had moored us in place were actually what kept the thing from collapsing at all. I couldn't hide a wince when my eyes spied the ruins of the prop sword I'd been using during the play; it was charred and half melted, but the explosion had sent the remains deep into one of the few wooden pillars still standing whole. "Well, Captain, I suppose this means that there actually _was_ a bomb behind you," I growled. He glared at me and opened his mouth to say something, but the ship lurched and rumbled ominously.

"I don't like the sound of that," Zidane muttered. I nodded in agreement; lurching and rumbles were not the sort of thing you wanted to hear on an airship in the middle of a clear night. The ship lurched again and started to loose altitude, and I cursed. Zidane looked at me, eyes pleading for me to not say what we both knew to be true.

"The engine must have been damaged during the blast," Steiner growled. The thief and I nodded before we turned to the rest of our group. "T'would be best if everyone grabbed on to something, quickly!"

"Agreed, Sir Knight," I hissed, and ripped my eye glass off, stashing it in my belt. The thing had cost a few thousand gil; there was no way I was risking damage from a crash. I made sure Vivi grabbed onto a pillar, and right as I was about to follow his example, we hit the forest below. The vessel shuddered dangerously from the impact, and continued to do so as it sped through the forest floor. I managed to hold on for a few more seconds, but when it went off a cliff and landed harshly a second time, I was sent flying into the forest. Somehow, I was able to make out a blonde blur soar past me through the trees, and I amazingly missed most of the trees. I almost thanked Lady Luck for her smile when I hit a tree with a sickening crack and started my descent to the ground. I hit branch after branch on the way down, and that was what probably slowed my fall to safer speeds before I hit the ground. Moments before I blacked out, I swore I could have heard a laugh, and I knew it to be Lady Karma getting her giggles.

After all, I'd jinxed us when I said, 'what could go wrong'.

_**IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX IX**_

_Well, ladies and gentlemen, this marks the true start of our rewrite. With any luck, we'll see the ending of this one, instead of a slow death into obscurity. I'll try to keep my updates regular, but I can't make any guarantees. Wish me luck, and please, remember that reviews and critiques are welcome and appreciated, but flames will be used to roast marshmallows._

_-GC_


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